Page 46 of Depraved

"I love you, Lala."

I reached up, tangling my fingers in his damp hair and pulling him down for a searing kiss. Our lips moved together desperately, tongues tangling and teeth clashing. It was violent and angry and such a goddamn fucking relief that I could have passed out.

"I love you," I gasped against his lips, the words tumbling out between moans. "Fuck, I love you?—"

Sarge moaned, his hips stuttering as he followed me over the edge as I came hard. I felt the hot pulse of his cum, flooding me as his cock throbbed inside me. He continued to move inside me, his thrusts becoming slower and more languid as he rode out the waves. I could feel his hot cum coating my pussy, some of it seeping out and trickling down my thighs with each gentle thrust.

His lips found mine again, the kiss deep and sensual and slow. Our tongues danced lazily as he rocked his hips, drawing out every last drop of pleasure. The oversensitivity bordered on painful, but in the most delicious way. I never wanted it to end.

I ran my fingers through his hair, savoring the silky texture. Our bodies were slick with sweat, sliding together as Sarge continued to move inside me at an achingly slow pace. I could feel every ridge, every vein of his thick cock as he withdrew almost completely before sinking back in.

He broke the kiss to trail his lips along my jaw, then down the column of my throat. I tilted my head, giving him better access as he lavished attention on my pulse. "You're so damn beautiful," he murmured against my skin between soft kisses. "I knew one day you’d bring me to my fucking knees."

CHAPTER 17

Layla

Imade my way to the White Room alone, my footsteps echoing in the empty corridor. The air grew colder as I descended the stairs, goosebumps pricking my skin despite the warmth of the day above. It’d been three days since we returned, and I’d been so preoccupied with preparations for our little trip to the precinct, and funeral arrangements for Raul, that I hadn’t had time to get down here.

I paused at the heavy steel door, my hand hovering over the keypad. The familiar sequence of numbers felt foreign under my fingertips, as if I were entering this room for the first time. Tomasso was nowhere to be seen today. I’d placed him somewhere else specifically so I could do this alone.

The lock disengaged with a soft hiss, and I pushed the door open. Gage sat on a cot in the far corner, his broad shoulders hunched as he stared at the floor. He wasn't restrained. His wrists bore angry red marks where handcuffs had bitten into his flesh, but now he was free. Or as free as one could be in a room designed for torture and interrogation. But he was clean, andthere was an empty plate on a small card table next to the cot, and a pitcher of water too.

As the door clicked shut behind me, Gage's head snapped up. His eyes, once warm and filled with affection, now regarded me warily.

"I hope you've been comfortable," I continued, gesturing to the water and empty plate. "I made sure you were taken care of."

Gage's lips twisted in a bitter smile. "How considerate of you. Is this where you tell me it doesn't have to be this way? That if I just cooperate, everything will be fine?"

I crossed my arms over my chest. "No. This is where I tell you that you’ve put us both in a very difficult position, and I’ve been struggling with how to handle it."

He leaned back against the wall, his eyes never leaving mine. "I thought you were going to kill me? You caught me, right? You gave me the chance to run, and I came running back instead.” He stood slowly until he towered over me. “Here I am, Lala. You got me.”

"Killing you would be the easy way out," I said, my voice steadier than I felt. "For both of us."

Gage's eyes narrowed. "Then what's your plan? Keep me locked up down here forever?"

I shook my head. "No. I'm here to give you a choice." He laughed, a harsh sound that echoed off the bare walls. I took a deep breath, steeling myself. "You can stay here, locked away, until I figure out what to do with you. Or..."

"Or?" Gage prompted, a hint of curiosity creeping into his voice as he tilted his head.

"Or you can come work for me," I said, the words rushing out before I could second-guess myself. "Not as an equal. Not as a partner. But as someone who knows too much to be let go, and too valuable to waste."

He just blinked at me, as if his brain was taking a bit too long to comprehend what I’d just suggested.

“But you have to do something for me first,” I added. “Something that will prove to me just how much you really regret betraying me.”

He took a step closer. "Anything," he said without hesitation. "I'll do anything, Layla. Just... just give me a chance to make this right." There was a sudden desperation in his eyes.

I smiled. “We're taking down your headquarters. Every single agent, every person who ever knew your name—they're all going down." I stepped closer, close enough to feel the heat radiating off his body. "And you're going to help me get inside and do it efficiently. I want to see you put a bullet in some heads yourself. Prove to me that you’re loyal. That you love me the way I think you do.”

Gage's face contorted, a mix of shock and something else—was it excitement?—flashing across his features. He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat. "You want me to kill my own guys?"

"Every last one of them. With help, of course."

For a moment, I thought he might refuse. But then, something shifted.

"Alright," he said. “I'll burn it all down for you then.”

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